Go Fish
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Determined to get Baileywick to relax on one snowy evening, Sofia insists that he participate in a card game she, James, and Cedric are playing to take their minds off the blizzard outside.


Go Fish

Summary: Determined to get Baileywick to relax on one snowy evening, Sofia insists that he participate in a card game she, James, and Cedric are playing to take their minds off the blizzard outside.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sofia the First or any characters from the show. I also do not own blizzards, floors, flowers, or the game Go Fish. :D I hope you all enjoy this. It popped into my head while I was working, so I decided to write it down. :) (PS—I love the rivalry/interactions between Cedric and Baileywick; they crack me up. The fact that it's Tim Gunn doing the zingers and one-liners too really makes me laugh! I hope to see more interaction between these two guys, because they're two of my absolute favorites in the entire show.)

"There he goes again," James laughed as he held a set of cards in his hands. He shook his head before looking back toward Cedric and Sofia. "Baileywick is going to give himself a heart attack if he doesn't relax."

Sofia's face nearly fell at her brother's words. "Oh, no, we can't have that. I don't know what we'd do without Baileywick…" She watched the steward rushing about, trying to keep order with the windows flying open and drafts of snow pouring in. She looked to her mentor. "Can you do something to help him?"

Cedric shrugged as he lifted his wand. "Perhaps," he stated simply before aiming his wand at the offending windows. "_Infigo_," he mumbled, watching the windows seal shut at last. He grinned toward the other man, who looked at him with a baffled expression. "How's that, Sir Frets-A-Lot?"

Baileywick sighed with his hands on his hips. "You couldn't have done that—oh, I don't know—_ten minutes ago_ when I first started fighting with the blasted things?"

"Hey, you never once asked for my help. So don't go getting all high and mighty on me."

Sofia sighed and shook her head. The rivalry between the two castle workers was as strong as ever. Every little quip Baileywick made to Cedric was returned just as swiftly. It was like they were in some sort of word battle or something. "Do you two ever stop arguing?"

"He started it," Cedric insisted, folding his arms and thus hiding his cards from James, who was trying to sneak a peek at his dealt hand.

"And I'll end it," Baileywick replied smoothly as he glanced at his pocket watch. "I don't have time for nonsense anyway. The king left me in charge of getting this place arranged for the party tomorrow night, and I don't have time for some ridiculous Mother Nature hissy fit." He looked toward Cedric momentarily. "But then you'd know all about that, right, Cedric?" He turned to attend to some flowers that some of the maids had just brought in for inspection.

Cedric opened his mouth as if to respond, but Sofia quickly put a hand over his mouth, glaring at him pointedly. "Don't even think about it," she warned him quietly, removing her hand. "He's just stressed, Mr. Cedric. Give him a break."

"I don't see him giving _me_ a break when _I'm_ stressed over pleasing the king with parlor tricks and birthday party shows."

James blinked obliviously. "I thought you liked all that stuff."

"Yes, Prince James. It has long been my life's ambition to cater to the youth of Enchancia such as yourselves and humor you as much as I'm able."

The prince grinned. "And you do a great job, Cedric!" he stated, making Cedric blink and Sofia sigh with a hand to her head.

"Are we going to finish this game?" the princess asked her two fellow players. She smiled lightly, trying to liven them up. "I believe it's Mr. Cedric's turn."

The sorcerer lit up for some reason. "Quite right!" He looked at his hand and then back at James, who seemed to be fidgeting, as if he were hiding something. "Prince James…"

"Yes, Cedric?" the boy asked innocently.

"I recall you asking for a Jack earlier…"

The boy pouted when he realized where this was going.

The sorcerer grinned, holding his gloved hand out toward James. "Hand it over."

The blonde boy huffed and passed _three_ Jacks over to Cedric, making the sorcerer grin in glee. "You got lucky," he insisted.

"It's not luck, silly boy," Cedric insisted, smirking while placing his new book of Jack cards onto the floor. "It's called paying attention. By the way, I'd also like that pair of threes you've been trying to complete."

"Oh, man, seriously?!" The prince pouted as he handed over two more cards to the sorcerer. This just wasn't his game.

Cedric sighed in satisfaction after completing yet another book before looking at Sofia. "Princess Sofia, do you have any sevens?"

She smiled sweetly. "Go fish."

As he drew a card from the deck, James pointed at the other two. "This is a conspiracy. You two are working together to beat me—I know it!"

Sofia looked at the boy with a sympathetic grin. "James… Think about it. This is a single player game. How could Mr. Cedric and I be 'conspiring' against you?"

"Well, it feels that way. Maybe I should get a partner and we can play doubles or something. That way I won't feel like I'm the victim here."

The princes giggled. "Don't be silly…" She looked at Baileywick, who finally finished his instructions to the maids. She called, "Baileywick, can you come here, please?"

"I'm coming, Princess Sofia," he told her as he turned to walk in their direction.

"Is this absolutely necessary?" Cedric hissed in a whisper to his apprentice.

She smiled cutely at him. "Yep." She looked toward Baileywick as he stood over them near the fire that was roaring in the fireplace.

"Yes, Princess?"

She patted the vacant spot to her left. "Have a seat. You're going to play a game with us."

"Oh, I wish I could, but—"

James and Sofia each grabbed one of the steward's hands and pulled him down to the floor to sit on some of their pillows and blankets they'd gathered.

"Just one game," the girl insisted, shuffling the cards as they started their previous game over.

Sighing and relenting, Baileywick nodded. "Fine, one game." He looked toward Cedric curiously. "How did _you_ get talked into this anyway?"

The sorcerer shrugged. "It was freezing in my workshop; I ran out of ingredients for my latest spell; and Princess Sofia guilt tripped me into playing, of course."

The princess gasped playfully. "It wasn't a guilt trip. It was…a persuasion technique."

Cedric cleared his throat and mimicked Sofia from earlier: "Mr. Cedric, no one will play with me, and Mom and Dad aren't here. This is going to be a sad start to my holiday vacation." He grinned toward the girl, who was giggling. "Word for word, exactly what you said."

"I don't know what's worse," Baileywick stated. "The fact that you let a nine-year-old guilt trip you, or the fact that you can mimic her so well."

"Look, when you spend nearly four hours a day with someone, teaching her spells and practicing potions, you tend to pick up on her habits, okay?" He shrugged. "Get an apprentice, and you'll see what I mean."

"I don't have or need one," the steward said as he watched Sofia dealing their cards. "Besides, with my luck, I'd end up with Princess Amber, and I'd have to retire early."

James howled with laughter and fell over, rolling. "Ah-ha-ha-ha! I love it! B-Baileywick! That's grand—brilliant!"

Baileywick smiled lightly and rolled his eyes. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, Prince James, but please refrain from rolling around on the floor and getting your outfit dirty."

The blonde boy sat up and grinned. "Please—like you'd let the floors get dirty."

Sofia giggled and finished dealing out the rest of the cards before setting a draw pile between them. "Okay, everyone. Let's play Go Fish!" She nudged Baileywick gently. "You start."

He nodded, relaxing for the first time that day as the blizzard continued outside but the warmth and comfort radiated inside. He looked toward Cedric. "Cedric… Do you have any fives?"

The sorcerer groaned as he looked at the three fives in his hand in dismay. "Merlin's Mushrooms…"

The end! :)


End file.
